Is USB 3.1 Type C going to be a game changer?

It looks to me (from what I can understand) that it's going to be a bit in the future, because the Type C part of the equation has to be motherboard implemented, but the statement that "read and write speeds will be comparable to an internal drive" certainly piques my interest. And the 100W capability could mean the end of the hated power brick!

Does anyone have any hands-on with these new "standards" - I guess the new MacBook is the first to jump on it?

Maybe in 4 or 5 years - just like ThunderBolt and USB-3 were. Until the vendors start creating devices, it's just another port on your system. I'm still not sure why Apple took that direction in the new Mac Book.

Maybe a game changer for those tied to
the Apple platform, but certainly not for those on the Windows platform.

Why? Because the options available to those who can install controller cards give Windows users so many options, most likely including USB 3.1, that no one on the side will probably even notice. Keep in mind, 12G PCIe controller cards have been out for nearly a year, with little fanfare. Of course, few on the Mac side even noticed, because they are stuck with Apple dictated connectivity, with only limited, and expensive, options via thunderbolt expansion chassis.

David Roth Weiss
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[David Roth Weiss]"Keep in mind, 12G PCIe controller cards have been out for nearly a year, with little fanfare. Of course, few on the Mac side even noticed"
That's because the 12Gb HBAs need PCIe-3 and nothing in the Apple sphere supports it. Additionally, there are limited 12Gb devices out there to pair with the connectivity, any way.

I wish that vendors would go back to the days of yore - like when DEC was dealing out RS-422 and invited all terminal manufacturers to sample the API and develop new terminals based on the new spec. When it was release, 11 vendors were already onboard and shipping RS-422 compliant terminals and workstations.

In those days, a new spec was defined and everyone either got on board at the outset, or the spec died on the vine due to lack of support. Apple and Intel seem to be Hell-bent on forcing the path of connectivity with no regard for how it affects the users or vendor partners...